Storm-shield for buggies and other vehicles.



PATENTED DEC. 26, 1905. S. B. LAUNE & C. M. SHELDEN. STORM SHIELD FOR BUGGIES AND OTHER VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JULYS. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

wit wzaoua No. 808,288. PATENTED DEC. 26, 1905. S. B. LAUNE & G. M. SHELDEN STORM SHIELD FOR BUGGIBS AND OTHER VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 1905.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

anwntow Wu: u now UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SIDNEY B. LAUNE AND CHARLES M. SHELDEN, OF WOODWVARD, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec; 26, 1905.

Application filed July 3,1905. Serial No. 268,057.

7/) rtlt whom it natty concern.-

Be known that we, SIDNEY B. LAUNE and CHARLES M. SHELDEN, citizens of the United States, residing at lVoodward, in the county of Woodward and Territory of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Tmprovements in Storm-Shields for Bug ies and other Vehicles; and we do hereby dedlare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

' Our invention relates to storm-shields for buggies and other vehicles; and its object is to provide a device of this character adapted to be carried in compact form at a suitable point at the top of the vehicle and which may be pulled downward after the fashion of a shade and unfolded, so as to overlap and protect the sides as well as the front of the vehicle.

, l/Vith the above and other objects in view the invention consists of a spring-controlled roller which is mounted on suitabl ebrackets secured to the front side bows of the vehicletop close to the said top, and secured to this roller is one end of a curtain having side flaps which are adapted to be folded thereunder and secured, whereby the curtain may be wound upon the roller and held in position close to the top.

A still furtherobject is to provide a curtain of novel form whereby the same can be folded and rolled into a compact bundle.

A still further object is to provide means for preventing the admission of rain at points between the top and the curtain. The invention also consists of the further novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings we have shown the preferred form of our invention.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the front of a vehicle-body having our improved storm-shield thereon, a portion of said shield and of the vehicle body and top being broken away. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the shield detached and folded ready for rolling. Fig. 3 is a View, partly in section and partly in elevation, of the roller and its brackets, the central portion of said roller being removed. Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views of the roller-brackets. Fig. 6 is a section through a portion of the folded shield and showing the means employed for fastening it when folded, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the retaining-hooks.

Referring to the fi ures by numerals of reference, 1' is a vehic e-body having bows 2', which support the vehicle-top 3, which may be of any ordinary construction. Secured upon the front bows close to the top 3 are brackets 4 and 5. Bracket 5 consists of a base 6, having a flange 7, in which is formed an angular groove 8, while bracket 4 has a base 9, on which is disposed a'flange 10, having an aperture 11 therein, adjacent to which is pivoted a weighted pawl 12. This pawl is adapted to normally engage a ratchet 13, secured upon a stem 14, which projects from one end of a roller 15. The other end of this roller is hollow, as shown at 16, and located within this hollow portion is a stem 17, which is rotatably mounted within the roller and has an angular head 18 and adapted to be seated within and engage the walls of the groove 8. A coiled spring 19 is disposed within the hollow portion of the roller and surrounds the stem 17 the opposite ends of said spring being secured to theroller and to the stem, respectively. It will of course be understood that this roller 15 extends across the front of the vehicle-top between the front bows 2 thereof, and securedupon this roller is the upper edge of a storm-shield 20, consisting of an intermediate rectangular portion and oppositely-disposed trapeziform flaps 21, which extend substantially the entire length of the central portion of the shield 20. This central portion of the shield is provided witha transparent portion 22 of any suitable flexible ma terial and has an opening 23, through which reins are adapted to extend, and this opening is normally closed by a flap 24. When the curtain is folded, as when it is wound on the roller 15, the trapeziform flaps 21 are held in place by means of sockets 25, which are engaged by buttons 26, which are fastened to the flaps 21 at the free corners thereof. Strips 27 are secured to the lower portion of the intermediate part 20 of the shield and have rings 28, which are adapted to be laced in engagement with spring-hooks 29, astened to the inner surface of the dashboard 30 of the vehiole-body. Other straps 31 are fastened to the flaps 2 1' near their upper freecorners and have rings 32 for engaging spring-hooks 33, formed at the inner ends of strips 3 1, having springhooks 35 for engaging the upright bows 2 of the vehicle-body.

It will of course be understood that the shield is normally folded and wound on the roller 15, and when in such position the spring 19 is not under tension. When it is desired, however, to place the shield in front of the vehicle, so as to keep rain or wind therefrom, the shield is drawn downward, so as to cause the roller 15 to rotate and tension the spring 19. During this rotation of the roller 15 ratchet-wheel 13 will rotate under the pawl 12, and said pawl will prevent the tensioned spring 19 from unwinding. After the shield has been completely unwound the side flaps 21 are detached from the sockets 25 and are placed in position outside of the sides of the vehicle-body. The rings on strips 27 are then placed in engagement with hooks 29, and the strips 31 are secured to the hookstrips 33, which in turn are placed in engagement with the upright bows 2. It will be seen that when the shield has been lowered and secured in this manner it constitutes an efficient protection for the occupants of the vehicle. In order that the rain or wind may be prevented from passing between the top 3 and the roller 15, we secure a top-flap 36 to the front top-bow 37, and this top-flap is of sufficient length to overlap the upper portion of the front of the shield. The shield can be quickly returned to its initial position by detaching the side flaps, folding them back of the middle portion of the shield, and securing them by the ball-and-socket fasteners. The pawl 12 can then be swung out of engagement with the ratchet 13, and the tensioned spring 19 will rotate the roller 15 and wind the folded shield thereon.

It will be seen that this shield is of very simple construction and can be readily applied to different forms of vehicle-tops and can be quickly raised or lowered. It is formed of very few parts and will therefore not easily get out of order. The entire device can be quickly removed by simply raising the head 18 from the groove 8, after which the stem 14 can be withdrawn from aperture 11.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination with a vehicle-body and bows extending therefrom to constitute a topframe, said body having hooks secured to the front thereof; brackets secured to the bows adjacent their upper ends, a spring-roller rotatably mounted within the brackets, a ratchet-wheel rotatable with the roller, a weighted dog pivoted to one of the brackets and engaging the ratchetwheel to lock the roller against rotation, a foldable shield secured to the roller and adapted to be wound thereon, means upon the shield for engaging the hooks and bows to hold the shield in lowered position, and a flexible flap secured to the top-frame and overlapping the shield.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses F. M. OLINE, E. B. WORKMAN. 

